


Steve's an idiot.

by Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts



Category: MCU, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Bruce Banner Is a Good Bro, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Bucky and Bruce are soft, F/M, I swear I love Stephen Strange, M/M, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-25 08:28:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20373748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts/pseuds/Darth_Rainbow_Queen_Of_Coconuts
Summary: And... Oh. "Oh fuck." Bruce whispered softly. This, this was Bucky Barnes."Funny, that's exactly what everybody heard you say when Tony left the venue with Steve." The voice lowly mumbled.





	Steve's an idiot.

Bruce shifted in bed, pressing against the warm body behind him, a content smile on his lips. The scientist paused, smile disappearing as his expression grew confused. He blinked a few times and turned, wondering to whom the arm loosely wrapped around his middle belonged to. The complete darkness of the room did not help. But at least he could tell that it was neither Tony nor Clint due to the complete absence of snoring. Thor was excluded as well. But then, whom? Bruce tried recalling his past day. Right. Tony's wedding with Stephan Strange. Steve had showed up with a far too assertive, drop dead gorgeous best friend. And... Oh. "**Oh fuck.**" Bruce whispered softly. This, this was Bucky Barnes.

"Funny, that's exactly what everybody heard you say when Tony left the venue with Steve." The voice lowly mumbled.

"It should be forbidden to sound that sexy so early. It's short-circuiting my mind." He blurted out before he could think better of it. His companion snorted, short but amused. "I'm serious. I remember seeing you arriving with Steve and then us making out in your room but no in between. I can't believe I got that lucky."

"Well the saying goes best man always get laid, I just took one for the team." James mumbled, voice still rough from the sleeping.

Bruce chuckled. "The wedding didn't even happen."

"It very much did, Dr Banner. Or have you forgotten that Elvis married Steve and Tony?" 

Bruce blinked a few times before the flash of a memory returned to him. Tony's instagram picture with the caption '_Not Rogers-Stark, not Stark-Rogers either. We're Stogers._' "Right, Stogers."

Bucky laughed for a few seconds. "They'll regret legally changing their names once they're sober." He spoke, getting closer and running his nose along Bruce's neck. Pleased when his lover turned his head to bare his neck and offer it to him, the soldier grinned before pressing a chaste kiss at the juncture of Bruce's neck with his shoulder. "I bet you a nickel that they will." He whispered lowly against the male's skin. Bruce laughed softly, carefully reaching up to run his fingers through Bucky's hair. He lightly tugged, enjoying the guttural sound that left the other male's lips as he yielded, baring his throat. 

The scientist moved deliberately slow, pressing a couple of pecks along the other male's throat. "Please, say it again." He whispered.

Instinctively, they shifted position, Bucky allowing the other to take control as he laid on his back. "What? Nickel?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Bruce hummed happily, linking the fingers of both of their hands and pining them above the soldier's head. "Nickel." Bucky repeated, grinning when the scientist's mouth left his neck to return to his lips, pressing a languid kiss to them. Their tongues met, making the exploration wet and dirty.

Bruce untangled his hands from his lover's to carefully cradle his face. Bucky lowered his hands to wrap them around the other's waist. They slid up, mapping every inch of skin they encounter. Bruce shivered a bit, enjoying the feeling of the cold fingers of Bucky's arm metal on his skin. He gentle bit on the other's bottom lip, lightly tugging as the two took in a much deserved breath. Enhanced stamina or not, they sadly, still needed to breath. "I still can't believe I got that lucky." The gamma expert spoke. "You're... Like... chiseled out of marble. And candy. Hard candy. Man candy." He added, his brain to mouth filter seemingly gone. Bucky grinned broadely, choosing to lean up and kiss the other man. "Definitely my kind of candy."

" I think I landed myself a pretty swell fella too." Bucky pressed a chaste kiss to Bruce's lips. "One that I would gladly kiss silly." Another peck. "Over and over again." Another, more insistant kiss. His hands got lost in mussy curls, enjoying the absence of reaction to the use of his metal one. That very organic acceptance and kindness was probably the first thing that drew him to Bruce.

~*~

_Steve was a mess. More or less always was. But today was special. Today, of all days, Steve had decided it was the moment to confess his feelings. Bucky believed it was unnecessarily dramatic while Sam was just grinning, finding it absolutely romantic and very stupidly Steve-like. They had a bet going on. Sam, believing in love bet that Tony would leave with Steve, while Bucky, ever the realist believed Tony would have the decency to marry the man he was supposed to. After all, Stephen had helped Tony rebuild himself and find happiness again. It'd be incredibly ungrateful just to leave. Especially when Stephen had suffered so much as well. It's not that he wanted Steve to be unhappy. Bucky was absolutely certain Steve could find happiness again. He just didn't want the blond to consider himself the cause of someone else's unhappiness, guilt was a burden even Captain America struggled to carry. Bucky could still see it, sometimes, in his best friend's eyes when he'd look at him. That always made his guts twist in an unpleasant manner. Being unable to live up to the memory of himself._

_What Bucky had failed to understand was just how important Tony had grown to be for Steve. That much became obviously when the blond willingly said 'sexual tension' aloud in a church. And judging by the way Sam was snickering, he'd known that was gonna happen. Natasha, sitting right next to him on the wooden bench elbowed him in the ribs, hard, despite the knowing smirk on her lips. Tony who had absolutely insisted to have a lys bouquet had dropped it by now, eyes wide and a little hopeful as soon as Steve had stood up._

_Steve's eyes widened with realization, mid-rant as they fell on a silent Stephen. "I'm an idiot. Oh God. I'm an idiot." He mumbled, seriously considering to sit down again. Bucky had sighed deeply before standing up right next to Steve and putting a hand on his back. "Yes, you are. Everybody knows it. Now keep going." He whispered in his best friend's ear. The blond nodded, as if he'd just heard an order, stood a little straighter and went on._

_Bucky's small smile dimmed as soon as his eyes settled on Stephen who was watching Tony move closer to Steve, a familiar hopelessness and silent acceptance in his gaze. By now everyone had grown silent, even breaths were held in as the two grew closer to another, Steve fondly remembering memories few had actually been there to witness. The soldier shifted his position to block Steve's view when the blond dared a glance toward the man standing at the end of the aisle, a kind smile on his lips. Steve smiled back, gratefully nodded and took Tony's hand, the two running out together._

_"**Oh fuck.**" Someone had said right then, someone who was standing a few feet away from Stephen. Someone with unruly curly hair and a dark purple suit that matched the purple dress of the woman standing right next to Stephen. Tony's second best friend, he'd guessed. The first, Rhodey, had led Tony up the alley with the widest grin on his face and they'd hugged for several minutes, whispering to one another that nobody could hear but left the both of them laughing with tears in their eyes_.

The soldier grinned at the words pronounced and his eyes sought for Sam. The dark skinned male was grinning too, happy for their best friend. He reveled in the feeling for a few seconds while the crowd started to chatter through the initial shock. That's when the guy in a purple suit loudly cleared his throat, a faint blush on his cheeks.

_"Hi, for those who ignore it, my name is Bruce." He offered a small smile. "I just wanted to make sure everybody here knew that Tony deeply cares for Stephen. I'm serious. Tony, he's..." He frowned. "He's known Pepper for years, and Happy kept the engagement ring in his pocket for a decade. When he lost her, he, he really thought he'd lost the love of his life. But a single year with Stephen and he went to buy a new ring himself, had Happy, Rhodey and I check it over, had us literally double and triple check every single detail of his proposal countless of times before he felt satisfied. Today's not the end of anything for anyone. It's... It's a beginning. Perhaps not the one we all came here for. But one nonetheless. And I would personally grow particularly angry at anyone who used that event to make fun of or resent any of the party involved instead of simply wishing them to find happiness." His eyes scanned through the crowd, kindness written all over his face despite his current stern look.When people's attention finally diverted away from Bruce who directed himself toward a narrow back door, both Stephen and the woman who was most likely his witness were gone. People took it as their cue to leave the church._

_Soon, Bucky, Sam, Natasha, Clint, Phil, Rhodey, Carol and Nicholas Fury accompanied by Maria Hill were the only ones left in the venue. "Looks like the Captain has more cojones on him than I thought." Rhodey spoke first, smiling just a bit. "He better make Tony the happiest man on earth or I will dig through all the stuffs Tony keeps in the garage of Howard's house to dig out the notes on Steve and find a way to hurt him." The man added, exuding a certain nonchalance with his hands pocketed in his suit pants, but the words were ringing true and loud. _

_Bucky smiled a bit. "Come on Jim, we all know that if you do that, I'll have to come after you and then Carol would come after me and then Sam would pitifully try to avenge me and get himself killed. Don't you value Sam's innocent life?" _

_The chocolate skinned younger man rolled his eyes. "Carol killing you would be a motive to congratulate her. Not avenge you." _

_A wounded look on his face, Bucky's eyes went to Natasha. "Nat, doll?" _

_She shrugged. "Depends Barnes." Was her answer._

_Clint snorted. "That means she ain't sacrificing her friendship with a badass alien for your pretty eyes." _

_The sergeant grinned. "You think I'm pretty?" _ _Clint just rolled his eyes. _

_Fury cleared his throat. "Not to interrupt the plausible domino effect murder party you're having but I think we should leave as well." The group nodded at the words. _

_Bucky's eyes glanced toward the back door for a second. He did want to check up on Stephen. He knew Steve would've. Perhaps too had he been intrigued by the stranger who'd given a speech earlier, with shaky hands but steady voice. Bruce, his mind supplied, remembering spoken words. "Go ahead, I'll catch up with you." He told the group as they headed out, trotting to said backdoor._

_It hadn't been too difficult to find Bruce, Stephen and the woman again. Their voice travelled through the narrow corridor. For some reason though, Bucky chose to remain hidden and listen instead of showing himself._

_"Bruce, you really don't have to apologize. What you did out there was more than enough." The woman said._

_"Thank you, Christine. But I truly do. I know Tony would do it himself if he was there. He really does, did, I... You weren't a distraction Stephen, he deeply cares for you."_

_The male chuckled humorlessly, tears that he'd blink away, welling in his eyes. "He might love me, but he's never stopped to be in love with the elusive Steve Rogers." He sighed deeply. "How could I be so stupid? I promised myself I'd never marry. Never put that kind of burden on anyone. Never put that much love in someone else. But then, then he barged in, all rough edges that didn't want to be filed but simply to be accepted. I thought I had found a kindred spirit. I thought he might just be it. He might just save me. Guess the both of us were very selfish in the way we loved..."_

_Bruce lowered his gaze. "You two helped each other a lot. Don't let this alter past memories, please." Stephen silently nodded, grateful for the other man's presence. Bruce had always been a great help when it came to deciphering Tony. Never giving away answers but more so clues to lead one on the right path yet allow them to forge their own understanding of his best friend. "Don't live in them either though. It doesn't dull any pain. Trust me." The woman gave a light squeeze to Stephen's shoulder, offering a kind smile as he put his hand on top of hers. "I'm gonna check if people are gone. So that you two can peacefully leave." They both nodded. "Here, this is the key to my hotel room. It's not in the hotel Tony and you picked, so you should be left alone there." He told Stephen, holding out the keys toward Christine. She gratefully took them and Bruce exited the room._

_A few steps in the poorly lit corridor and he found himself face to face with Steve's friend. He only recognized the man because he'd stood up in the midst of the blond's speech. "What are you doing here?" Bruce asked lowly, fists clenching by his sides as his protective streak kicked in._

_Bucky lifted his hands up in surrender. "I swear I'm not here to mock anyone. I was just wondering how Stephen was fairing. He's a nice guy under the arrogant asshole attitude."_

_The words made the scientist's lips curl up a little. "Stephen is a strong man. I know he'll be fine." He answered. "But I don't think he wants to see anyone right now." _

_Bucky nodded. "That's fair. I'll just..." He gestured behind him. "Leave then, I guess."_

_"I'll accompany you out. I need to know if the coast is clear for an extraction."_

_Bucky chuckled at the chosen lingo. "Why so militaristic?" He asked, tucking his hands in the pockets of his white chinos._

_"Sometimes dealing with people can be more draining than the battlefield and require twice as much preparation with less guarantees of results."_

_Bucky narrowed his eyes, glancing at the other man as they walked. He oozed determination and burnt with a fire underneath that one wouldn't expect seem his frame. The soldier could appreciate that. It was unexpected and enticing. Oh boy. It definitely had been a while since he got laid if even the most random topic could turn him on. Or maybe it was the inconspicuous man with his curls and slight frown, who could be as kind as he could be scary. Bucky wanted to jump into something new, unexpected, that would make him feel like he was allowed to be just himself. Not a broken man who needed to talk. Not the past memories he couldn't quite live up to. Not a soldier. Not an icon. Not an asset. Just Bucky. And be enough as bruised but healing Bucky. He bet that the nickname being moaned by the man right by his side would sound much better than when Steve was saying it. "I couldn't help but hear what you said in there. If you're looking for a place to crash, my room has a couch and isn't in the hotel chosen by Tony and Stephen either..."_

_Bruce paused for a few seconds at the proposal. He drank the other male in, wet his bottom lip and answered : "I'll think about it." Right as they reached the outside of the church. There were a few people gathered there still. Mostly faces Bruce could recognize. Including Natasha who was dealing with the press with the help of her bodyguards of the day : Maria and Carol. Their male companions were a little further away, near the remaining cars._

_"Took you long enough Barnes, decided to get frickin married in there or what?" Sam asked, a small grin on his face. _

_Bucky rolled his eyes. "This one was beneath you, Wilson. Even Clint wouldn't have dared."_

_"Hey!" The archer interjected before he started to sign insult, making Bruce laugh. Startled Bucky's eyes fell on the male by his side. Bruce was most definitely full of surprises._

_Sensing a gaze on him, Bruce's eyes searched for the source and landed on Bucky. "What?" He asked, growing a bit apprehensive._

_"Nothing bad." The soldier answered, enjoying the way Bruce's face shifted to a smile mirroring his own._

_"Good." The scientist said. "I'm going to head back inside to tell Stephen he's good to go. Natasha is scarily efficient." He spoke, glancing at the female who'd gotten rid of the press by now. His eyes shifted back to the male next to him. "If you're still there when I return, I think I might just take you up on that couch offer."_

_Bucky smirked. "I'll be there. And you might even be able to upgrade from the couch to the bed."_

_"Only if we share." The shorter male answered, getting on his toes to press a chaste kiss to the corner of the other's lips. He pulled away as fast as he leant in, blushing as he heard someone whistle._

_Right there and then, Bucky knew there was no way he'd let go of the man now. Hopefully he'd declare his love a little sooner than Steve did. If love there ever grew to be._


End file.
